No more “Mr. Negative”

Looking back at my recent blog posts, I’ve recognized a pattern that I just don’t like. Basically, I’m negative!

I always seem to be finding fault… always pointing out what’s not working and how poorly businesses do what they do – or don’t do what they should do when coming in contact with prospects, customers, former clients, and so on.

So I’m turning over a new leaf and I’m on a quest. I’ve decided to go looking for GOOD… for the positive. No more Mr. Negative for me.

From now on, I’ll be out there… proactively looking for best practices and for great or “surprising service” (to use Ron Kaufman’s vernacular) that go above and beyond what’s expected. I’ll be looking for people within businesses are nice, happy, friendly, helpful, attentive, sincere, and pleasant and that, by virtue of their exceptional service or demeanor or ability to listen or smile, deserve a gold star!

And when I find one of these outstanding employees, staff members, or team members that really gets it… that has a way of putting the customer first or following that simple Golden Rule… I’ll give them a gold star.

Now, it took a while, but after searching the Internet, I found a deal on gold stars that are perfect size to be used as a lapel pin and ordered two dozen. They arrived today in a small plastic bag. (They’re not solid 14K gold, but they’re nice.)

And I think when I hand out one of these to someone deserving of a gold star, they’ll think that’s pretty special to have been recognized in this way.

Here I go. I’m heading out for the day in quest of people that by virtue of their innate nature are friendly and helpful and go above and beyond the call of duty or those that have been trained by the culture within the company they work for to perform that way.

Of course, there’s no telling how long it will take me to give away all 24 lapel pins. I’d like to think it would only take a week. However, something tells me it’s going to take a lot longer than that.

Whoops, there comes that negativity again.

So I’m on the prowl… bag of gold stars in my pocket… and hoping for the best.